Guide card for card indexes



Aug. 21, 1923. m I 1,465,499

H. c. THOMSON GUIDE CARD FOR CARD INDEXES Filed March 1921 Inventor: f/anry C. Thomson,

6? 2mm mfm a Jlfitorflgy.

Patented Aug. 21, 1923.

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' H NRY c. menses, or west: noxB'UnY, 'AssAcHUsnrrrs'.

eurnncannron CARD innnxns.

Application filed March 7, 1921. Serial in). 450315,

To all w-bo'mit may concewi: r

Be it known that L'HENRY C.'THOMSON,

a citizen of the United States o-f'Am'ericm' guide card hitherto employed has had the.

followingcharacteristics. It has commonly included a main or body portion which is of substantially the same width and height as that ofthecard units with which it is associated, except that for a portion of itsi breadth the height is somewhat increased so as to provide a small area; called the tab. Thus the tab is supported by the main body of the guide card, so as to project'above the main body ot' the' card units; and upon said tab is carried in visible and easily legible position raised above the top surface of the index, the matter or indicia which serves .to characterize the cards grouped undersaid guide card.

Having noticed that the type of guide card just'described requires for its manufae' ture a superficial area of material which is in excess of the area of the card unitsfby the area of the tab, it has occurred to me thatthe primary functions of-the body of the guide card in separating the cards at the desired division point, and: of supporting and locating the tab couldfbeipertormed by a card the area-of whose body was very ma.- f

terially less than that of the card unit. In short, that there is alarge proportion of the superficial areaof the guide card ;which'is wastage so far as its functional: importance is concerned.

One object of my invention is to devise a. guide card for card indexes or the like which 7 is of an improved type and of a novel-shape or outline, and which is'designed to secure the result that the area of the guidecard which has the'functions of separating the groups of cards and-of supporting and lo-' eating the tabshall be materially reduced as compared with the cards of the prior types thus eliminating the wastage above referred.

- and a dvantages of the prior type hithertoemployed.

turing the same.

shown i-n Fig.- 8 is cut in the 'Another object of my invention is-to' re-- duce the'breakage, commonly experienced in index cards of the prio'rJtypes, along the line where the tab joins the body oi'the card; In such prior types, the body of the .en tire height,' has little or no capacity V for Q I guide card, being. of, full width for its bending as pressure-is applied upon the tab. in the course of fingering the guide cards.

The'consequence is that thetab tends to'bend. at its line of junction with the body of the.

card and .theserepeated bendi'ngsin time p 1 causethe tabto break off.

J In my improved guide card however the tapering form of the portion of the card 1 leading up and supporting the *tab'and the .gradual reduction in its width from the base to the tab'results'in the partial bendingoe I yielding ofthis portion ofthe card as pressure is applied to the tab, and such yielding prevents the bending effect of pressure ex-.

erted upon-the tab becoming so localized at the base of the tab portion as to result in the breaking ofi' of the same.

forming the subject of my inventionis de-: signed to embody all thefunctions;utilities, possessed bythe'guide cards Referring to the drawings;

Fig. 1 showsan index card embodying my invention in one of its preferred forms.

Fig. 2 shows a blank piece from which the card of Fig. 1 is cut ufacturingrthe same.

; Fig. 3 shows an index'card invention in a modified form.-

ii i.the process of man-.

.80 At the same timethe improved guide card, i

embodying my Fig. 4 showsa blank from which the card 7 i ofFig. 3 is cut in-the process of manufac- Fig; 5 shows a one additional guide cardi.

' -.F 6 shows afurtherinodificationoit.

indexcard embodying my invention. V. Fig.7 shows a blank from which thecard p of index jcards made up I: i from the cards shown in Figshl and3 with shown inig. 6 isflcut inthe process ofniani ufacturing the same. 7 v p F 1g. 8 shows astill furthermodification 01 an index card embodying my invention.

3 Fig. 9shows a blank from which the card v uiacturing the same. p

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings :the guide card has a base dimension 1 which is substantially dentical with that of the cards process or" Dllncoinprisiiw the index with which it employed. iie lateral edge 2 (as shown in Fig. 1 the right handedge), is substantially perpendicular to th'ehase and extends to a 1 height which exceeds that of the inder; cards (assumed in all the Figures to be indicated by the dotted line by the: amount which it is desired to have the tab project' above the cards of theindex.

The top of tab edgeB of theigiiidecard lies substantially parallel to thebase oi. the same,

and has a length corresponding to the width desired for the tab. From the end oi the tab edge which lies towardthe center of the card the other lateral edge (being;

the le't't-hand 1 edge as shown in Fig.1) is carried down di ag'onally to the left hand. corner oi the base edges 6 7 'eled with respect to the base so that the tab] of. the card. 7

Thus the card hasa general form which is substantially that era trapezoid, having 1 its base and top or tab. ed es ,arallel but 7 I I":

with its side edges sharply inclined or hey eled with respect to the base and each other;

the whole providing a relatively narrowed top edge'po rt-ion or tab projecting above the index-cards (i. e. above the line 'l Vhile inthe case of the guide card shown in Fig; 1 and above descrihech the-tab is located at the right side of the card, a reversalof the card will cause the tab to be'p'resented: at the left side of the cards. Thus by the simple expedient of reversal, a card may be made to serve as a right or a left; according as it is desired to locate the tab at one side or the other of the cardindetr.

Where it is desired that'the tab be located intermediate the ends'o'f the guide card, I

employ a card of the type shown in Fig. I

In this card; as before, the base and tab di- IDOllSiODS. respectively 5 and G and the height of the guide card are determined by the size t the index cardsand the amount of pro jectioii desired for the tab. Both latera and 8, however, are inclined or bevl0l0 in Fi ael) located onopposite sides of the blank and lying at distances from the adjacent corners of the blank, equal to the length of the-tab edg ew A single severance of such a blank will provide without Waste two guide cards or substantially identical iorm whichconiplement each other in formingthe blank from which they were cut. M

In practice it becomes more econoinical to carry on the mani facture of my cards by making the cuts forminfgithe blanks from:

the strips of material anddiagonally seven ously stormed blanlrs Bycornbininggurde cards of the type shown in Figs. 1 and 3. ;inpairsiindii' dually reversed toltorm rights and lettsf, V the tabs may be located atsultable intervals successively from one side to'the-ether of the top of theindex, in the manner shownfin Fig. 5,iit being noted that the set of cards; shown in Fig. 5 includes a guide card-'(as,-

e; g., the one with the tab markedKO"") with both side edges having the same angular inclination, and which supplies a center j "card for the set. 1

' If desired to avoid the presence of sharp;-

the dotted lines g y and 2+2, as shown in secure the proper length of the base.

Giiiderards einbodyingniy invention may 6 also be made in the to his shown in Fig. '6. These cards, like those shown-in Figs. '1' and 3, includethe'baseedge 21' and the tab edge lying substantially'in parallelisnif In the edge is'locatedinore or less toward the cen ter of the card; the amount otthe lateral displacement being determined bythe ainount oi: the bevel or. annular inclination ot said edges rclativeto the .base. i

The process of form ng-5; QUldG cards oil? the types ust lEOIQHTbGfOI'O described by me is 'onew 'hich permits thecards to be formed cards shown 'in lligz. 6 the right hand lateral i edge QQ' is perpendicular to the has efll. while the left hand lateral edgeiltis carried from the corner of the tah cdn e doii'nto therleft hand or adjacent Lcoriier' is the cai'din a:

without waste of material. In the preferred mode 'o'tmanutacture the cards are formed by cutting a strip of material} which has the height of the guidecard iii-st- 311 607 blanks havingthe form of rectangles or of rhornlioids (according as cards respectively bit the types shown in Fig.1 or Fig. 3 are to be forniedhvith a length eqiiivalenttothe com-,

bined lengths or the base and tab edges of the guide carchandthen severing said blanks along; a line extendingg'diagonallv across the same and connecting points (9-9 in Fig. 2,

p designingdthe said curvedfl lateral edgeQetse that i eneets the tab, and base edges at substantially right: angles; an 1 approximation to a rectangular forn for course whichuvhile not; as in the card-0t Fig. l; a sl'i'iiurlit'lino is substantially direct,

corners at extremities' of base edge ofcard," these corners maybe trimmed off as along Fig.8;suitableallowances of course haying; previously been madeto {LliillOlliQli curving as shoii'ii Preiei'alily-the 1*. $142+ 1 .1 101' 1 ciiive oi sit lALCldl U ;:c aiis so der, $Iil0 as to cut the rectangular lila'i'ili froiirwhichthe cards are cut shown in Fig. l into two "llfilfOS of identical outline;- As before, one" of these halves may," be e npljovci'l in reversed position when it is desired to provide a: card withtlic tab lying atjthc left hand (it-the index instead of at the right hand as shown Further by the corners of the card {where the curved ierence being that the blanks from which the cards OI'F1g. 8 are out have edges of curved form and that the severance cut of the blank 15 also curved instead of straight. 7

The advantages resulting from a guide card of the'iniproved types just described reside in the consideration thatthe material required :tor my guide card is very appreci- I ably less than for a guide card of the prior parent even by a casual comparison of the prior and my types or" guide card. 7

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is a 1. Guide cards for card'indexes and the like having a base'edge and a'tab edge 'lying' and whose lateral edges are of substantially identical outline and lie in approximate parallelism with each other.

2. Guide cards for card indexes and the like ,havin a base ed e and a tab ed 'e b b b lying substantially in parallelisinpthe tab edge being shorter than the base edge, and lateral edges iornnng the sides of said cards;

the said guide cards being in pairs of substantially identical outline in each of which pairs the one card complements the other, when the two are placed with their lateral edges in contiguity and with the tab edge of one in linear alignment with and forming an extension of the base edge of the other, in covering in substantial entirety a,

surface whose longitudinal edges are parallel, and whose lateral edges are of substantially identical outlines and he cards of each pair being relatively reversed with respect to each other in said 1ndex so 'similarly shaped cards, each of whichj ear'ds in parallelism with each other. types; a fact that becomes manifestly 'apindex card above such ed e to in parallelism with each other; the individual that the at of one card will lieito the. right and thetab of the other card at the left of its center. 1

3.. A'gu1de card set for card indexes and the like made up of one or more pans of has a base edge, and a tab edge which is shorter than the base edge and substantially parallelv thereto, and lateral edges forming 'the'sides of said cardQsaid indi-' 'vidual cards of each pair being adapted to complement "each other, when the two are placed side by sidewith lateral edges in 'contiguity and with the tab edge of the one m llnear' alignment with and forming an ex} tension of the base edge of the other, in; covering in substantially entirety a surface; whose longer or longitudinal edges are parallel, and whose shorter or lateral edges are of substantially identical outline and lie 4. A guide card for 'cardindexes the like which issubstantially in'the form of a trapezoid having a base edge approximately equal to that of the index cards, a top edge substantially, parallel to the base I and materially shorter than the same, and an altitude" sufliciently in excessof the height ofindex. card to cause that portion of the guide card adjacent the .top edge of the present a surface serving as index tab. 7 I 1 9 5; A guide card set for card indexes and r the like made up'of cards which are substantially of trapezoidal form having'a base approximately equal to that of the indexcard, a top edge substantially parallel to the base and shorter than the same, and. an altitude sufliciently in excess of the height of the'index card to cause that portion of i r theguide card adjacent the top edge of the index card above such edge to present a sur-' face serving as an index'tab ,said top edges in the difllerent cards of the set being locatcd at varying positionsintermediate the lcngth of said card. I

(3; Guide card's'for card indexes, each having a base poi'tionsubstantially equal to the widthof the card units comprising the in dex, each oi said guide fcards having one of itslateral edges inclined at an angle to'the base. the 'i'nclination ofthe' saided es with.

respect to. the base differing on-the'said guide cards wherebyto laterally p displace the upper ortab edges oi the various guide cards vwith respect to each other.

In testimony whereof I aflixiny signature" 12c 3 in presence-oi two witnesses HENRY C. THOMSON.

Witnesses: I

ELIZABETH M. REPETTO; LILLIAN IQ'HALE 

